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San Patricio County, Texas
San Patricio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 67,138. Its county seat is Sinton . Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 707 square miles (1,831 km²), of which 692 square miles (1,791 km²) is land and 15 square miles (40 km²) (2.18%) is water. Major highways * Interstate 37 * State Highway 77 * State Highway 181 * State Highway 188 Adjacent counties *Bee County (north) *Refugio County (north) *Aransas County (northeast) *Nueces County (south) *Jim Wells County (southwest) *Live Oak County (northwest) The Gulf of Mexico is situated to the east of the county. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 67,138 people, 22,093 households, and 17,232 families residing in the county. The population density was 97 people per square mile (37/km²). There were 24,864 housing units at an average density of 36 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 76.76% White, 2.81% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 15.94% from other races, and 3.05% from two or more races. 49.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 22,093 households out of which 41.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.00% were non-families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.40. In the county, the population was spread out with 31.10% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,836, and the median income for a family was $40,002. Males had a median income of $31,132 versus $20,730 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,425. About 14.60% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.50% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over. History In 1828, 200 Irish Catholic families recruited from Ireland and the Irish population of New York contracted with Mexico to settle on eighty leagues of land in the area. By 1836, approximately 500 people were living in the colony on eighty-four land grants. During the Texas Revolution, the colony was depopulated due to fighting in the area. By 1841, a small number of permanent residents had returned to the area. After Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845, the area was stabilized by the presence of U.S. troops under Gen. Zachary Taylor. In 1845, Corpus Christi was designated as the county seat. In 1846, the area of the county south of the Nueces River was reorganized as Nueces County, and the town of San Patricio became the county seat. In 1848, additional new counties were formed out of San Patricio, further reducing its size. The 1850 U.S. Census revealed only 200 people, including three slaves, in the area and that cattle raising was the focus of the local economy. In the mid 1860s, settlers from other parts of the south moved to the area in search of cheap land. In 1870 there were 602 people in the county, and the agricultural census reported fifty-one farms and ranches, encompassing , in the area, with about described as "improved." In the early 20th Century, development of the county intensified as hundreds of new farmers moved into the area from northern Texas and other states. The population grew to 7,307 by 1910 and to 11,386 by 1920. There were 470 farms in the county by 1910 and 757 farms by 1920, and though ranching remained important, vegetable farming and cotton became important crops. The acres of cotton planted in the county increased from about in 1910 to in 1930. Cities and towns See also *National Register of Historic Places listings in San Patricio County, Texas References External links *San Patricio County government's website * * Historic San Patricio County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History. Category:Counties of Texas Category:Hurricane Ike Category:San Patricio County, Texas Category:Established in 1836